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Star Wars toys in Shanghai, China

To whom it may concern:

I'll be traveling to Shanghai, China at the end of next week (Nov. 2nd) for work. I'll be in the city and out in the countryside for about three weeks or so. As with every new place I visit, I like to look for Star Wars items that may be unique to the area.

Does anyone know what is available in Shanghai for Star Wars? I want to save a little extra room in my suitcase if I manage to find anything really good.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any specific Star Wars stores but...

Shanghai is hailed as the "Shopping Paradise" and "Oriental Paris". So if you come to Shanghai, shopping should not be missed any more than its other charming attractions. Providing the very best of shopping has become an indispensable part of Shanghai's tourism industry.

Shopping areas in Shanghai are clearly divided into "Four Streets and Four Cities". Nanjing Road, one of the four streets, enjoys the reputation of No.1 Commercial Street in China. Developed from the beginning of the 20th century, Nanjing Road has clusters of a wide variety of shops from those that are centuries old, to special ones and modern malls. In these modern times, Nanjing Road is not out done by its numerous competitors but becomes more and more prosperous. Huaihai Road, no less famous than Nanjing Road, is celebrated for its elegance. It features top-end designer brands from all over the world. North Sichuan Road offers good inexpensive merchandise and is always the first choice of ordinary people. Food and tourism are well provided for on Middle Tibet Road, one of the Four Streets.

Parkson Shopping Center on the Huaihai Road is worth visiting. Here you will find reasonable prices and many special offers in the form of discounts and other promotions. Even the brand-name clothing is reasonably priced here.

Maison Mode, located at No.1312, Huaihai Road, claims to be the aristocrat on this street. You will find the leading designer brands such as Gucci, Ferragamo, Hugo Boss, Bally, Kenzo, etc. here. It is no exaggeration to say that the reputation of Huaihai Road is enhanced by the presence of Maison Mode.

Yuyuan Shopping City, Xujiahui Shopping City, New Shanghai Shopping City and Jiali Sleepless City are the bustling "Four Cities" in Shanghai. Yuyuan Shopping City is the venue for specialist Chinese goods ranging from small articles, local crafts and the like to antiques, jade wares and gold and silver jewelry. The newly-established shopping and entertainment plaza, Xujiahui consists of large stores where you can obtain both costly and middle-range priced goods in abundance. New Shanghai Shopping City is on the grand scale and offers the best facilities and amenities. Located in the middle of Pudong Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone, it is surrounded by a variety of retail outlets. Like a bright pearl on the landscape, Jiali Sleepless City facing Shanghai Railway Station, and on the Subway line 1, is a bustling commercial area.

Besides the famous "Four Streets and Four Cities", some other streets and roads are worthy of a visit.

If you just intend to buy small articles and inexpensive clothes, Hong Kong Famous Shops Street and Dimei Shopping Center beneath People's Square and Xiangyang Road Market will whet your appetite. In Dimei Shopping Center, clothes are competitively priced and fashionable, but you will seldom find the top brands here. With the alternation of four seasons the small shops here, sell clothes in vogue which cater for the needs of young people. You can bargain at ease.

Xiangyang Road Market. This famous market used to be on the former Huating Road Clothes Street, which was the most renowned clothes street in Shanghai before relocating to its present place. Since 1980s, a number of the shops selling clothes and small ornaments led Shanghai's fashion trend. Foreigners carrying large travel bags once formed the scene on the street. In November 2000, the former Clothes shops on Huating Road were moved to Xiangyang Road Market. A notable feature here is the fact that you can find expensive goods at very low prices! But be warned that so-called brand names are often fakes but with care you can find items of a reasonable quality.
Getting there: Subway line 1, Public Bus No. 24, 42, 45, 94, 96, 128

The distinguishing feature in North Shaanxi Road is its shoes. Not only abundant varieties and original styles, the prices are reasonable and moderate. If you admire Chinese-style clothes, some shops selling them are on Maoming Road, Changle Road will meet your requirements. Generally clothes will be tailored to ensure a good fit.

Dongtai Road Antique Market is a market mainly dealing with the porcelains, jade wares, bronze wares, wooden wares, calligraphy and paintings and embroidery utensils. Lots of tourists from home and aboard come to this famous market.
Getting there: Public bus No. 17, 18, 23, 864

Of course local food specialties should be taken into account. Houyin Fish (Noodle Fish), origin in Qingpu and Chongming counties, the Houyin Fish is scrumptious and delicious. Canned Anchovy, one of the specialties of Shanghai, is fried and exported overseas and is highly praised. Other local specialties like Pudong Chicken, Shanghai Juicy Peach, and Juicy Pear and so on will make your mouth water.

Local products like, Gu Embroidery , also called Luxiang Yuan Embroidery, from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), is now used in producing clothes, ornaments and bedding. Tapestry is divided into two types, for appreciation and daily use. It is popular among visitors because of various colors, vivid figures and visual design. A scroll of tapestry depicting the Great Wall of China is exhibited in the United Nations building. Jade sculpture, wood sculpture, and stone sculpture feature Shanghai's tourism industry with its exquisite and delicate carvings. Shanghai was one of the original producers and exporters of Chinese silk and silk produced here remains unique owing to its age old traditions as well as new means of production and design.
Tourist Souvenirs Shopping Building: No. 558, East Nanjing Road

As for the purchase of household appliances, big home appliance markets, like Gome, Guotong and Quyang Home Appliance City are highly recommended. Household appliances here have low prices and good quality.
Gome in Changning Shopping Center: No. 986, Changning Road

For everyday requirements, supermarkets offer a wide range of goods. You will find Carrefour, Metro, RT Mart, Hypermarkets & Shopping malls, Lotus and Hualian, etc. Most of them are located near to the transportation hubs and residential areas. Furthermore, up to 100 supermarket chains and 24-hour-open Lawson Convenience Store are established for your convenience.

that was a lot of good info!
I hate to say it but check any street markets for bootleg stuff, that might be cool. It's a huge city, be careful after dark...so I hear, please keep us informed. I am curious at what you find!

It was interesting. No Star Wars toys at all anywhere we went. In fact, virtually no toy stores to speak of either. The couple I ran into had the feel of a KBToys in the last throes of a going out of business sale. Our translator said that there were more toy stores in the suburban malls farther from the city, but we never really had any opportunity to get out that way.

As far as other shopping went, we were pretty much around The Bund and Najing Road. Kinda touristy, but our translator was also a very good negotiator, often knocking the prices down considerably. One item was quoted to us at 1000 RMB and she got it to 25 RMB. That's how badly they'll try to jack prices up on tourists.

Maybe we just had targets painted on our backs, but we quite literally couldn't get ten steps outside the hotel without being asked if we would like designer sunglasses (fakes), designer watches (fake), or "Shanghai lady" (real). Not just a few times. EVERY time. And constantly. Non-stop. You tell one guy no and lose him and another is up the road ten seconds later. You start to get the feeling that these scuzbags are pimping out their sisters or something to make some cash.

We had a day off our first week there, so three of us decided to get on the night train to Beijing. Eleven hours later, we arrived in Beijing in the morning and found an international hotel which arranged a cab to the Simatai portion of The Great Wall. An hour and a half later, we were there and heading up the hill to the Wall. Hiking up the path, tour guides attached themselves to us and of course we were "obligated" to pay them for their escort time. We used them to take a few photos of us along the way and they knew a little of the history if we asked. Otherwise, it was difficult to shake them when we had had enough as they tried to relentlessly sell us the trinkets they carry in their backpacks.

Overall, Shanghai and the small parts of Beijing that we saw had a very third-world feel about them. Very dirty, almost primitive conditions for many small shops. But in the midst of that kind of filth, there are very modern bookstores, five star hotels, and western fast food like McDonalds and TGIFridays. It's really an odd mix.

Aside from the annoying salespeople hawking their crap (and they don't just sit inside the stores like our salespeople...no, these people come out and get you and show you things constantly...very high pressure sales everywhere)... every other "normal" local was very very pleasant.

We mostly worked nights so we didn't have much opportunity to get out and enjoy the night life. I did get to one club and found that the young people are just as into fashion and loud music as the kids here are. I've never been much into the Chinese "look," but I did find a few locals who caught my eye. Some very tall leggy girls and some who really had beautiful faces. And they definitely have the high-heel thing down.

I'd like to head back that way someday, to Beijing, Hong Kong, and even Tokyo, but those aren't priorities for my life. I might have more fun traveling the countryside into small towns and such, like toward Tibet. Who knows. Life has had a funny way of taking me to unexpected places lately. Lord knows what is coming next.

interesting. My friend was in Shanghai last year. He said it was pretty wild. Like you said it was old world and new world converging. Y suppose the only people buying toys like that in China, are the more affluent, So I guess one would have to find those neighborhoods and their respective shopping malls. as you mentioned